Apparatus for cleaning boiler tubes, condenser tubes, and other surfaces



Feb.. 15, 1927: KENNEDY ET'AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOILER TUBES, CONDENSER TUBES, AND OTHER SURFACES Filed Aug. 5. 1926 I111 a [m1 1! u v ,2 I

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v I 1,618,093 Feb. 15,1927. DKENNEDYET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOILER TUBES, CONDENSER TUBES, AND OTHER SURFACES Filed Aug. 5, 1926 HEW IIIIIIIIIIII'II 0 m mum I z limikiln i iiil il 'ilm 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 15, 1927. 1,618,093

4 D. KENNEDY ET AL APftARATUS FOR CLEANING BOILER TUBES, CONDENSER TUBES, AND OTHER SURFACES Filed Aug. 5, 1 926 4 Sheets-Shet sv Ill-l. A.

fizvezazord Feb. 15,1927.

- 1,618,093 D. KENNEDY ET AL APPARATUS FOR- CLEANING BOILER TUBES CONDENSER TUBES, AND OTHER SURFACES Filed Aug. 5, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 p4 medaz (flzega7m iz,

Patented Feb, 1 5, 1927.

UNITE" r nAVLD KENNEDY, OF EAST HAM, Lennon, ANnALExAnnnR cnnroxsnnnxaunnnson, or FORES'IGATE, LONDON, E GLA D;

- a chain the cutting surfaces may form ex-l ArrAnA'r sroRcLEANInG BOIL R TUBES, oounuu'sun TUBES, AND o'rHnia v JsURFAcEs. I

v 7 Application filed August 5,1926. Serial No. 127,434,211111 in Great Britain May 4,.19E2 5.

' This invention relates to. apparatus for cleaning boiler tubes. orgthe like, in which the apparatuscomprises one or more rotary flexible cutters mounted on a rotary member. The cutters may be arranged so that the centrifugal force set up by'the rotation causes the cutter or cutters toi fit itself or themselves into ,close engagement with the surface to be cleaned so that, by imparting;

to the rotaryxmernber a motion of progression as well ,asof rotation, the surface is I per end in across-head cin Which, however, itis prevented from rising by meansof a thoroughly cleaned from end to end. 'l/Vhen the flexible cutter is inthe form of tensions: of the chain links. Or, in; some V cases they may comprise rollers mounted on a flexible wire rope, the outer peripheries of the rollers being milled oriotherwise roughened. ,The cutters may be supported by a cage,.-if so desired.

- In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation plete device, and

of the, comshowing the disposition of the device relative to the tubes when in use;

Figure 3 is a plan View of the device.

7 Figure 4c is a sectionv oniline 4. 4 of Figure.1. a I 1 (A Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, showing a side elevation on an enlarged scale, of a portion'of one of the chain-like cutters.

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a portion 1 of the chain-like cutters,also onan enlarged scale. I s s Figure 7 1s a section on line 77 of Fi 1 ure v6, and

. Figure 8 is a plan view .of one of the cutting links of the cutter.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of a cutter supported by a cage,and

Figure 10 is a front elevation' of the same;

Figures 11 and 12 are a side elevation and I a plan view respectively, of another form of chain link according to this invention.

Figure 13 1s a fragmentary side elevatlon of the form of this invention in whlch the cutters, are in the form of milled rollers, and

Fig. 14 is an end elevation of one of the rollers shown in Figure 13. 1

Referring to Figures 1 to 8 of the drawings, six lengths of chain a each a little longer in lengththan one quarter of the periphery of the tubes 2) to be cleaned, are

Figure2 is a front elevation ofthe same taken. The chains a are pivoted together at one'end in pairs as at a on opposite sides of. a rod 0, their upper endsv being connected-to misses the rod 0 and'their lower ends: being cons nected to a tube d within which the rodc is enclosed. The rod 0 is channeled on op- "posits sides as at a so that the chains a can be sunk into it for a purposetobe herein-I after explained. The tube d is. slottedas at d to accommodate the chains The rodc is rotatably mounted at] its up:

collar .0 secured to it, andthe rod is provided with a-socket c or is otherwise constructed so that a flexible or other driving shaft can be attached to itin order to rotate it. Mounted across the crosshead is a worm shaft 7 provided with twoworms which: engage two worm wheels f Each-of these worm wheels is secured to a spindle f One end of each of the spindles is screwed p tween flanges provided on the tube d. Thus, when a handle attached to, the worm shaft f is rotated, the pinions f arefalso rotated,

. thereby moving the tube 6! along the rod 0 Y for the purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The cross-head e is provided With a,

hanger g, and the lower end of the rod 0 is rotatably mounted in a yoke h, the hangerv carrying wheels-g which rest upon the upper side of. two oftheupper tubes of the i boiler, and the yoke h also carrying wheels h which. bear on the underisideof two of the lower tubes," (See Figure 2.) i

-The hanger g and the yoke h are: pro-' vided withbrackets g and 10 respectively,

on which are rotatably mounted fourguide wheel-s9 and h respectively,- arranged to I engage the adjacent surfaces of the tubes b with which the wheels on the hanger andyokeh engage, Connecting the two brackets together are rods is having nuts 70 screwed 'ontheir ends whereby the whole apparatuscan be adjusted in correct position for cleaning tubes. The wheels g and 9", it? and h 'are carried in bearings Z, adjustable by the screws Z and the nuts Z with cutters a for removing incrustation, these cutters conven ently consisting of ex The links of the chains a areprovid-ed crating handle sufficiently to cause the tensions of the chain links of, the cutting portion being arranged obliquely to the line of the chains, as shown in Figure 6. The chains are provided with spring wires m or the like extending along them or at the back thereof so as to keep them curved to approximately the curve of the, tubes to be cleaned when the chains are in the tube cleaning position. p

' Describing now the manner of using the above described apparatus, the bottom bracket k is removed the rod 0 is moved within the tube (Z, by turning the said opchains to lie in the channels a formed in the rod, and the apparatus is then placed with the chains andthe tie-rods between the brackets between two rows of tubes to be. cleaned, as shown in Figure 2, whereupon v the flexible shaft or other suitable means at such a speed as to cause the ends of the chains which are pivoted together to move outwardly due to the centrifugal action set up, so that the chains bend around or fit themselves to the tubes to be cleaned, see

Figure 2, whereupon the cutters on the chains effectively remove incrustation from the portions of the tubes with which they are in contact. The ends of the chains which are pivoted together are preferably loaded'so as to increase the outward movement of the chains, and, therefore, the pressure with which the cutters bear against the tubes. The centrifugal actionv imparts to the cutters not only a scraping action but a hammering action as well against the tubes.

l/Vhen the apparatus has been advanced along the tubes up to the tube-plate, the said operating handle is rotated so as to move the tube (Z longitudinally of the rod .0 of the apparatus therebydrawingthe chain's flat or approximately so against the rode,

.in which position they can behrot-ated against the flat tube-plate for the purpose of removing incrustation therefrom.

. In the construction illustrated by Figures 9 to 14, the means for drawing the chains inwardly toward the rod 0 may be dispensed with, the chains in such a construction being .0 is preferably of substantially U-section being secured at itsbaseto the revolving rod 32 by means of bolts 0 which pass throu'ghthe base of the cageo and through the revolving rod'p, The sides of the cage are cut away approximately to the normal curvature of the flexible cutters as shown in Figures 9 and 13. V The outer ends of the cutters are connected together at 0 as described with reference to the above construction and the other ends thereof are fixed tothe revolving rod 10. For this purpose, the end linkn of each of the chains is cage by means of pins 9 which project on either side, of the base of one of the links it and through arcuate slots '0 cut near the edge of the cage. Two links "on each chain may be provided with these pins, one near the base of the cage 0, the other towards the nosethereof. The arcuate slots 0 are preferably of such size as to enable the' chains to fit themselves around the tubes when in use. These pins-act as check devices in order to prevent the cutters exerting undue'pressure on the tubes at about the centre of the chain, should this be found to occur; I

' Referring now to Figures ll and 12, each link 1" of the chain is conveniently of Y- form, the cheeks r of' 'one link taking around and being pivoted to the tail leg r of the next link. The cutter proper s is formed diagonally across the'top of'the link 1 and, instead of the spring at being arranged at thebase of the link 'asabovefdescribed it may be arranged at the topthereof, being threaded through holes 8 formed in the cutters proper. 7

The sides of the cage are preferably riveted together at about their centre as at t and between thetwo chains.

thimble to which is hinged to a lug a: which in'turn is secured to the revolving rod p. The rollers u may beloose on the wire rope inorder to enable them to adapt themselves to the curvature of the tubes or the like being cleaned.

WVe claim v V V 1. Apparatus for cleaning the external surfaces of boiler tubes and the like, comprising means to engage and'move along the outermost tubes of a pair of adjacent rows of tubes,a member rotatably supported by said means and adapted to be inserted be tween said rows of tubes, and flexible tubecleaning means associated with said member and caused by the rotation of the latter member to'imninge against and enter be tween adjacent tubes of said rows of tubes.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the tube engaging means includes a bracket and apair of rollers mounted on said bracket and adapted to bear against the outermost tubes of a pair of adjacent tubes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 where in' the tube engaging means includes a bracket and a roller adjust-able on said bracket in'a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable member and adapted to bear against the outermost tube of one of the adjacent rows of tubes.

4. Apparatus for cleaning the external surfaces of boiler tubes and the like, comprising a member adapted to be inserted between a pair of opposed rows oftubes, a pair of brackets in which the opposite ends of said member are rotatably supported, a plurality of flexible tube cleaning members carried by said member and caused by the ro-' tation of said first-named member to im-' pinge against and enter between adjacent tubes of said rows of tubes. means connecting saidbrackets and permitting adjustment of said brackets toward and away from one another, and means carried by'said brackets v to bear against the outermost tubes of said opposed rows of tubes,

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 -where-' in thetube-cleaning means comprises a plurality of flexible members extending along capable of rotation between and movement longitudinally of said-tubes, a second member associated with said first-named member and movable in the direction of the length of the latter, and chain-like tube-cleaning means associated with said members, each of said chain-like means being caused by the rotation of said first-named members to im pinge against and enter between adjacent tubes of said opposed rows of tubes and being drawn out of position to engage said v tubes by the relative longitudinal movement of saidfirst-named members;

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 where in the first-named member is of tubular form and has slots extending parallel to its axis, the second-named member is mounted within said tubular member and has depressions extending parallel to its axis and in alignment 7 with the slots in the first-named member, and

each of the chain-like cleaning means has.

one of its ends connected to said firstnamed member adjacentone end of one of said slots and its other end connectedto the opposite end of the aligned depression of the second-named memben 8. Apparatus for cleaning the external surfaces of boiler tubes and the like comprising a member for insertion between two rows of tubes and rotatable between; and movable longitudinally of said tubes, means carried by said member and engageable with one of said tubes for supportingsaid member between the rows of tubes to be cleaned, flexible means associated with said first-named member and 'projectible b the rotation of said member into engagement with and between a pair of tubes of each of said rows of tubes, and resilient means associated with said flexible mcans and normally maintaining said flexible means in curvilinear form.

9. Apparatus for cleaning boiler tubes,

condenser tubes, and other surfaces comprising a rotary member, chain-like cleaning means secured thereto and :a resilient support associated with said cleaning means and 7 adapted to maintain said cleaning means curved to the curvature of the surfaces to be cleaned when the cleaning means are in position to engage said surfaces. i 10. Apparatusfor cleaning the outside of boiler tubes, condenser tubes, and other surfaces comprising an upper bracket and a lower bracket, means connecting said brackets and on which said brackets are relatively adjustable to adjust the apparatus in the correct position for cleaning tubes, a rotary member mounted between said brackets and flexible cleaning means secured to said rotary member. i

v 11. Apparatus-for. cleaning boiler tubes,

condenser vtubes, and other surfaces comprising an upper bracket and a lower bracket, tie rods between said brackets and on which said brackets are relatively adjustable to adjust the apparatus for cleaning tubes, a rotary member carried by said upper and lower brackets chain-like cleaning means secured to said rotary member and a springwire extending along said cleaning means to maintain said cleaning-means curved'to conform to the curvature ofthe tubes to be cleaned when the cleaning means are in the cleaning position.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification. 7

DAVID KENNEDY. f ALEXANDER CRUICKSHANK ANDERSON. 

